Jeremiah Returns
by clarkoholic
Summary: Jeremiah Holdsclaw returns to Smallville to CUT some loose ends. TC and some Chlark. Completed.


Chapter 1

As the night awakens, Clark sits quietly on the old dust-collecting couch in his loft. Rustling through the latest addition of the Smallville Ledger, he comes to an article titled "Cured? Belle Reeve Patient Released".

The article stated that Jeremiah had been released last week. His psychiatrist had given him a clean bill of mental heath. After awaking from his coma, Jeremiah had undergone months of psychiatric treatments. After which his doctors had concluded that he was not out to harm anyone and he was, in lack of a better term… cured.

Clark looked up from the paper and thought to himself. _Could he really be cured? What if he remembers my powers? Maybe without the Kryptonian blade, he really did change. _Just as Clark was finishing his last thought Jonathan walked up the stairs into the loft.

"Your mother says dinner is almost done. If you hurry, I'll save you some potatoes?"

"No thanks Dad. I'm not very hungry." Clark, looking down at the paper, with a tone of worry in his voice.

"Clark, what bothering you?" As he sat down next to his son on the couch.

"It's nothing really" he handed his dad the paper "I was just a little worried about what Jeremiah might remember."

Quickly scanning through the article "Listen Clark, I don't think we need to worry to much about this. If Jeremiah was going on about you having these extraordinary abilities while in Belle Reeve, they never would have released him. He probably doesn't even remember what happened, he was in a coma for months."

"Your right, Dad." Clark stood and walked to the window, staring out to the glistening stars "I'll be in for dinner in a bit"

Jonathan stood up, went to Clark, placing his hand on his shoulder "You don't need to worry about this son."

As Clark stood, staring into the shadows of the night he thought _I hope your right Dad. I wonder were Jeremiah is now._

The sign outside read "MetroInn: Studio Apartments Rent by the Week". The dull glowing neon lights flickered through the window. His face was lit in a greenish yellow, sickening color. He sat alone on an aged maroon decrepit looking bed spread, staring at the boiling pot. The pot, almost over flowing, was filled with an iridescent illuminant green substance. He stood, reached for the pot, raised it up and began poring the matter into a metal mold in the shape of a substantial sized knife. After placing the mold into the tiny twenty-five year old oven, he sat, staring through the grime-coated window at the mold. He turned and picked up a piece of meteor rock with the chunks of green missing from it.

"Your time as come false prophet. I must fulfill my duty."

Chapter 2

Luthor Mansion

Lex was focused, typing away on his sleek silver expensive laptop; he had yet to notice Clark enter his study. Clark stood, watching Lex.

"Lex"

Looking up from the screen "Oh hi Clark. I didn't hear you come in." shuts his laptop and walks over to bar to pour drink. "Would you like something?"

"No thanks. So Lex, did you hear about Jeremiah being released from Belle Reeve?" he asked as he nonchalantly as he rolled some of the pool table balls into one another.

"Yes I did." He picked up the newspaper, held it up and plopped it back down on his desk.

"Do you think he's actually better? I mean, he was pretty crazy."

"Clark, if you're worried that he might try to attack my father again, don't be. My father has the best security team money can buy. Besides I truly believe that Jeremiah is of no concern."

"You do?"

"This man tried to kill my father. When I found out he was being released, I spoke with all of his doctors and even spoke with Jeremiah himself." He sat down at his desk and put his feet up.

"Really? What did he say?" Clark walked over and sat in the chair in from of Lex's desk, looking very eager.

"Clark, why are you so interested in him?"

"I'm not. I was...just curious." Racking his brain trying to come up with some excuse "I was, uh, I was thinking about writing an article about his release for the torch."

"Oh" Lex said unbelievably "Well, in that case." He stood up walked over to the window "He actually apologized to me for what he did to my father."

"Really? So he seemed…fine?"

"Yes he did. We actually had a very intelligent conversation about the caves and the Kawatchi paintings."

"Did he say anything about the story of Namand?" Clark stood and walked to Lex

"Well, just that he was embarrassed that he actually thought he was Namand." Lex turned to Clark "Clark I would love to read your story about this. Will it be in the next issue of the torch?" he spoke in such a way that Clark could tell that Lex didn't believe him about wanting to write a story about this.

"Umm, I'm not sure. But Lex" Trying to change the subject "I actually came over to pick up those Metropolis Sharks tickets, for next weeks game, that you said Pete and I could have."

"Oh right. I'm sorry Clark they haven't arrived yet. They should be here today, I'll bring them by your house later tonight."

"Thanks Lex. I'll see you later then." Clark turned to leave and once he reached the door.

"Oh Clark...send me a copy of your article once its published. I'd _love_ to hear your take on everything." Lex smiled

"Sure thing." Clark thought to himself as he was heading out of Lex's study. _Great, now I have to write an article_

Chapter 3

Clarks Loft

Clark figured he might as well actually write an article about Jeremiah being released. Chloe would be proud of him for taking the initiative and it might actually make the front page. He sat on his old couch writing away in his notebook. GRRRAAULL _I'm hungry_ He thought to himself as his tummy rumbled _Well, with Mom and Dad in town for dinner, I think I'll make myself some cereal when I go inside_ Just as he finished his thought he heard footsteps. Trying to finish his last sentence before he, who he figured was Lex, came up stairs. "Hey Lex, I was just working on that article. I'm about to go inside and get something to eat. Do you want someth…?" He stopped as he looked up and saw that it was not Lex who was standing at the top of the creaky wooden stairs.

Jeremiah stood staring at Clark with a smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?" Clark said as he quickly stood up

"Relax Clark, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to apologize." Jeremiah stepped forward towards Clark

"Really?" Clark still wasn't sure if he should believe him or not, he looked sincere, but what if he's faking?

"I understand if you are weary of me after what happened before." Jeremiah took another step towards Clark, who stepped back with every step forward. "But I assure you, I am deeply sorry for what happened. Having that blade made me believe that I was Namand and I guess I let it go to my head a little."

_A little? _Clark thought. He just looked at Jeremiah, not sure what to say.

"I'm just glad that you are ok and I did not hurt you worse." Jeremiah stepped a few more paces towards Clark and extended his hand. "I really am sorry."

Clark looked at Jeremiah's hand, then his face and into his eyes _I think he's for real. He seems so sincere_ "It's ok Jeremiah" as he reached to shake his hand "I'm glad that you're better now."

It all happened so fast. As their right hands met, Jeremiah gripped Clark's hand firmly. With the flick of his left wrist, Jeremiah allowed the blade he forged to fall from up his sleeve into his hand. Looking into Clark's eyes as he finished speaking, Jeremiah smiled and shoved the blade into Clark's side. As he stabbed Clark, Jeremiah look him straight in the eyes "I told you before false prophet! I have to kill you before I can kill Segeeth!" There was a sharp searing pain, not only was the pain in his side, but his whole body. A violent serge shot through his entire being. He'd felt a pain similar to this before, but not nearly to this extent. Clark looked as Jeremiah pulled the blade from his side, it was glowing. Clark knew instantly it was made of kryptonite. He could feel his knees weakening; his whole body shook of pain. Letting go of Clark's hand, Jeremiah quickly spun around and took the handle of the blade and hit Clark with all his might on his already aching side.

His legs could no longer hold him and he fell to the ground in agony. Lying on his unwounded side, he could feel the cool shiver of his blood running down his back. Jeremiah had an ear-to-ear smile on his face.

Jeremiah crouched down next to him. Clark looked at the kryptonite blade, which was now near his face. Wincing in pain from his steadily bleeding wound and the blade. Jeremiah looked at the blade, then Clark "Oh this… I made a couple of friends in Belle Reeve, who knew a lot about you. You might know one, Van McNulty?" He stood and paced around the loft "I knew that there was no way I was going to get out of there if I went around telling everyone who I really was. So I played the whole 'I'm sorry, I know I was crazy but now I'm not' card and it worked." He crouched down again next to Clark "I am the _true_ Namand!" Jeremiah

Clark could barely understand what he was saying. The pain was so intense he could barely move. His head started to pound, it was almost rhythmic with his throbbing side. The only thing he could do is try to get that blade away from him. If he did that, then his wound might heal and he could stop Jeremiah. He mustered up all the strength he had left in is weakened body.

Once Jeremiah was close enough to him, Clark, as fast as he could, kicked Jeremiah in the chest and knocked him back. Clark got to his feet with the help of the desk next to him. Jeremiah lunged at him, Clark quickly reached over and took his telescope and swung it at Jeremiah. The telescope hit him with such force, as he fell to the wooden planks below him, his grip on the blade let up. Clark watched as the blade flew over the railing to the dirt below. Looking back to Jeremiah who was struggling to stand back up and gain his bearings.

Using all of his strength to swing the telescope, Clark collapsed back to the floor. Feeling his side he thought _It should be healing. Why isn't it healing? _The pain throughout his body was unimaginable. _How come my body isn't healing, the blade is gone? _

Jeremiah stood, a little dazed, he reached into his jacket and pulled something out….

Chapter 4

Clark's heart dropped when he saw what Jeremiah had pulled out of his coat. All of the relief and hope he had felt, had left him…there was another blade.

The blade itself was similar to the Kryptonian blade that had pierced his skin before. This one was a glistening green, approximately 7 inches long, solid, the handle was wrapped in long thin pieces of leather. At least without the Kryptonian blade, Jeremiah didn't have Clark's abilities, but with this kryptonite blade…neither did Clark.

"You didn't think I would go to all the trouble of making this and only make one, did you?" Jeremiah started walking towards him. As he came closer, Clark could feel his body reacting to the kryptonite. He pulled himself up, leaning most of his weight on the desk.

Stumbling out of the way as Jeremiah charged at him. Catching himself on the couch, as he straightened up and turned he felt the cool razor-sharp blade penetrate his abdomen. Plunging deeper within as his body when limp with pain. Falling to the floor in mortal anguish. Burning throbs throughout his being. Clark withered in pain while watching Jeremiah turn to him; taking the blunt handle of the blade he struck Clark in the head. Keeping his eyes closed, he let his body go limp, hoping Jeremiah would think he was unconscious. Clark waited…he heard him snicker, then footsteps leaving.

_I have to get to the house. I need Mom and Dad. _Wanting his parents so badly at that moment. Gathering all the strength he had left in his body, he pulled himself up. Bracing his weakened body on anything he could, stumbling towards the stairs. Reaching the lowest level of his fortress, he heard something…footsteps. _Mom and Dad…_he thought as he tried to reach the staircase. Before he could descend, the footsteps were drown out by laughter.

"I am not a fool!" Jeremiah snickered as he ascended the staircase "I will not make the same mistake twice." Clark stumbled back trying to find an escape. "You _will_ die tonight." Jeremiah took hold of Clark by the collar and threw him to the floor. Pulling out a small silver flask. Hovering over him he opened the flask "Waste not!" with those words Jeremiah turned the cylinder over and poured the glowing contents onto Clarks bleeding wound.

The liquid kryptonite seeping into his skin was like acid to Clark. An unbearable blazing sensation surged throughout him. Groaning in misery he clutched his abdomen, he could feel the inferno sleeking its way through his system.

Jeremiah raised the blade, before he could strike again, headlights flashed down the dirt-covered drive. Slipping the blade back into his coat, Jeremiah took Clark by the arms and hauled him to a side catwalk of the barn. Strategically placing bails of hay, hiding Clark from rescue. "Too bad you'll be dead before they find you!" Jeremiah said while he quickly and quietly exited the barn as not to be caught.

Blackness swarmed his head, his sight spinning from the world around it. The excruciating pain surrounding his chest sent twinges of what felt like electricity throughout him. _This is it…I'm going to die…_he thought as he could feel himself being pulled into darkness. As he drifted into nothingness a voice brought him back.

"Clark…" Lex said as he climbed the stairs….

Chapter 5

"Clark…I have your Sharks tic…" Lex stood stunned at the top of the staircase, looking over the loft. Books and papers spread across the floor near the desk as if knocked off. A telescope lay broken on the floor. There was no doubt in his mind that there was some sort of struggle here. Walking up the few steps to the next level "Clark…where…oh my God" he sighed in fear as he saw numerous puddles of crimson blood scattered across the floor.

"Clark!" calling out, frantically trying to find his friend "Clark!" searching, behind the couch, around the desk, trying to follow what may have been trails of blood. "Where are you!? Clark!" he ran down the stairs searching the ground level of the old barn. As he was searching, he suddenly stopped, as something appeared to have dripped next to him. As he looked to the ground below him, a drop fell onto his forehead. Taking his hand and wiping it off, he looks to his hand…blood. Looking up, Lex notices more blood dripping from what seemed to be a catwalk like section of the upper level. He ran as fast as he could to the top of the stairs. Looking in the direction of where the blood came from. Nothing but hay bails, Lex ran to the bails, picked up the top one and threw it to the ground below. Looking over and behind the other bails, he cringed at the site before him.

The one true friend he had in his life, lying motionless his light blue flannel shirt drenched in the same crimson blood as the floor. As fast as his body would allow him, Lex threw the remaining bails out of the way. Collapsing onto his knees next to his injured friend. "Clark!" gently shaking Clarks face trying to wake him "Clark, can you hear me?" Darkness swirled around him, trying to open his eyes and stay conscious. Slowly he cracked open his weak heavy eyelids "Lex…"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lex looked Clark in the eyes "Don't worry Clark, I'm going to get you help." He said while pulling his sleek black cell phone from his pocket. "I'm going to get you to the hospital." Dialing 911 was harder than he thought; do to his hands shaking in fear. Enormous anguish flowing throughout his now frail body made everything around him a blur. Not until Lex put his cell phone away and looked him straight in the eyes and clearly spoke, did Clark comprehend what was happening. "Clark, an ambulance is on its way. Now tell what happened." Lex said calm and compassionately.

Trying to form a clear thought through his pain and fear, Clark could only sputter out a few words. "J-j-jer-e-mi-ah…" Lex stunned, his insides churning as he thought to earlier in the day.

_"Do you think he's actually better? I mean, he was pretty crazy." _

"Clark, if you're worried that he might try to attack my father again, don't be. My father has the best security team money can buy. Besides I truly believe that Jeremiah is of no concern."

The words 'no concern' flashed again and again, until Clark snapped him back to reality. "L-e-x…" looking back 'Yes Clark' he muttered. "Ne-ed cough to w-w-arn cough cough you-r da-d" Clark could barely speak through his coughing fit. Seeing his friend in such agony was unbearable to Lex. "Clark just relax…try not to talk. Don't worry, I'll make sure Jeremiah can't hurt anyone else." With those words Clark tried to relax, with a burning inferno in his chest making it hard for him to breath, he raged into another coughing fit. Lex knew he had to do something to help his friend. "Listen Clark, I'm going to try to stop the bleeding." Knowing his overcoat was too large; he took it off and ripped open his stark white, button down, shirt. Quickly folding his shirt, he placed it on top of Clark's rapidly bleeding abdomen. The second Lex applied pressure, Clark bellowed in misery.

Feeling nothing but torture, the only thoughts in Clarks mind was death. _I don't want to die...I can't take this anymore_. He knew he had to stay awake, but he could feel obscurity calling him. _I just need to stay awake...keep my eyes open_. Looking up to the bald, shirtless man before him, he could see the terror in Lex's eyes. "Lex…" closing his eyes he heard 'Yes'. "…thank…you" he closed his eyes again, this time tears streamed down the side of his sweat covered face. Lex, not knowing what to say, put a fake smile on his face and said the first thing that came to mind. "It was my turn" referring to saving Clark instead of Clark saving him. After the words left his mouth he thought _That was so stupid, why did you just say that, you idiot! _But felt a bit of relief to see that his comment made Clark smile and give a small chuckle.

After the chuckle left his mouth, Clark started coughing again. With every cough, it felt as though a tiger was clawing through his chest. Tightly squeezing his eyes closed as he coughed harder, choking through the coughs as he felt something coming up through his lungs. Lex looked on in fright, while he watch his best friend coughing crimson blood, Clark turned his head to its side trying to cough the blood to the floor so he wouldn't choke. Once his coughing subsided, he spat out the remaining blood from his mouth. Laying his head back to the ground, his breathing was heavy and weak at the same time. Pulling a handkerchief from his pocket, Lex did his best to wipe the blood from Clarks face. With a sudden blast of razor sharp pain, his eyes shot open, he roared in torture. As sudden as the pain came, Clark started to gasp for breath. Lex started to panic "Clark!" hearing the faint sound of ambulance sirens "Clark just hang in there! The ambulance is almost here. Clark!" looking to his friend as he gasped for the breath of life.

Clark couldn't hear anything Lex was saying; the sound of his vast gasps overtook his ears. He tried to call out for help, but he couldn't speak _I can't breathe...I can't breathe_ swarmed through his head. Fearing he would die if he succumbed to the unconsciousness that beckoned him, he fought. Trying do breathe more than ever, but he couldn't. With one last gasp, he felt himself slip into an unconscious slumber. All the pain and suffering he felt was gone, nothing…but ecstasy.

Panic overtook him as he watched Clark's eyes roll back into his head and his whole body went flaccid. "CLARK!" Lex frantically screamed fearing the worst, that he was dead "CLARK!!!"

Chapter 6

Sirens blared as the ambulance, followed by a black porshe, zipped past the red truck as it made its way down the road. Thinking nothing of the zooming ambulance, Jonathan just slowed down to the side of the road as it passed. "Thank you again for the wonderful dinner Jonathan." Martha said as she snuggled up next to him as he put his arm around her. "Your welcome honey." He smiled back.

"I hope Clark ate something better than cereal for dinner." She said with a laugh. With a laugh, Jonathan pulled her hand up and gave it a kiss as he pulled down the dirt-covered driveway. The red truck did not pull up to the house, as it normally would have, instead it stopped near the barn. Three Smallville police cars sat near the entrance of the barn, one with its red and blue lights still flickering through the darkness of the night. Rapidly getting out of his truck with his wife only feet behind him. Jonathan walked up to the sheriff, who stood just inside, looking somber. "What's going on Sheriff?" Jonathan asked.

"Mr. Kent I'm not sure how to say this…" pausing for a moment to find the right words, Sheriff Adams spoke "Lex Luthor found your son bleeding upstairs…" before she could finish, she was cut off by a gasp from Martha.

Jonathan spoke "Is he okay? What happened? Where is he?" the Sheriff could hear the fear in his voice.

"They took him to the hospital…" Jonathan's mind flashed to the ambulance they passed rushing down the road _That was Clark_. "…We're still not sure what happened, it appears that he was stabbed." She said calmly. Martha gasped again putting her hand over her mouth as tears started to well in her eyes.

------Smallville Medical Center------

Lex stood in front of the small sink; the warm soothing water rushing over his skin was therapeutic. His hands felt raw from the harsh scrubbing he was inflicting upon himself. He watched as the last of the soapy bubbles, which were stained red, ran down the drain. Looking to the mirror, his face was pale and sweaty. He felt sick; his stomach was churning, not from hunger or pain, but from the vision of what had just happened stuck in his head.

_Pounding as hard as he could on his friend's chest. "Come on, Clark. Breathe!" pounding…pounding. _

"_Hello" he heard from downstairs "Up here!!" Lex shouted, "Hurry, he's not breathing!" The paramedics rushed up stairs_

"_Please step back sir." The paramedic told Lex as he backed away watching the other man take over the pounding. "What happened?" one man asked._

"_I don't know…I, uh, I just found him here…bleeding" Lex replied, his heart was hammering inside his chest. He felt as though he was going to stop breathing himself. Terror stricken, he stood, watching. After what seemed like an eternity, Clark's eyes shot open and he gasped, shortly after, falling unconscious again... 'he's breathing' Lex said quietly to himself._

Taking a handful of water, he splashed his face, letting the water run down his face like a calming waterfall. He took a deep breath and sighed while he walked out of the restroom towards the waiting room.

----------------

Jonathan and Martha rushed through the hallway. Coming to the front desk, Martha looked over and saw a bald man sitting in the waiting room across the hall. He looked tattered, wearing an overcoat buttoned up. She noticed that he didn't have a shirt on underneath it, nothing but his snow colored skin. "Lex" She screeched as she ran to him.

Looking up from the floor, "Mr. and Mrs. Kent".

"Lex…" Jonathan walked up to Lex as he stood from his seat "How's Clark? What happened?"

"I don't know…all Clark said was it was Jeremiah…" Lex stopped speaking when he saw the look on their faces. "…I take it you know who I'm talking about?"

"Uh, yes." Jonathan said, "How's Clark?"

"I don't know…Jeremiah stabbed him…" gulping back the lump in his throat from the sight of Martha almost in tears. "…He…he was pretty bad." Regretting saying that, Lex didn't dare tell them the torture he saw their son in.

-----------------

The waiting was the worst part, not knowing whether his son was okay. A million thoughts ran through Jonathan's mind while they sat in the small blue colored waiting room. He thought about how he had told Clark not to worry about Jeremiah, wondering if Clark would have been hurt if he was expecting something from Jeremiah. At that thought, _Wait! How did Clark get hurt? The Kryptonian blade disintegrated…kryptonite, that's the only way_. He snapped back from his thoughts as a nurse entered.

The nurse ushered them into another room. They sat silently in a small office, waiting for the doctor to come and tell them about their son. A short portly man with gold rimed glasses walked in. "Mr. and Mrs. Kent, I'm Dr. Brown." Sitting down at the desk across from them.

"Doctor how is our son?" Jonathan asked wearily

"His condition is stable but still serious." He spoke in a monotone voice "Your son was stabbed here…" showing the parents by pointing to a model of the body. "…and here." Martha had tears softly streaming down her cheeks while Jonathan just sat in shock. "His wounds should heal fine. But there is something that puzzles me." Jonathan's heart jumped, what did the doctor find? Was it his blood? Did he find out something was different about his son? He looked up at the doctor. "He has a strange toxicity in his system causing a fever."

Martha wiped her tears away and asked "Umm, what's the toxin?

"Well, that's the strange part. I have no idea, I've never seen anything like it." Instantly Jonathan knew that the doctor was talking about kryptonite. "We'll run some more tests and within a couple of days his fever should subside."

"Doctor…when can we see him?" Jonathan asked him

"I'll have a nurse show you to his room." He stood and led the weary couple out of the small office.

--------------

Jonathan and Martha sat at their son's bedside. Martha had fallen asleep in her chair; stains of tears still streaked her face. Jonathan would not let himself fall into slumber; he did not want his son to wake up without being able to be there for him. Clark lay motionless, an oxygen tube went from under his nose to around his ears. Wires running down the bed beside him connected to a device on his finger that took his pulse. A two-inch gash just above his right temple, running back into his hairline surrounded by a sizable purple bluish bruise, was held shut with butterfly band-aids. His hair was matted and messy, small beads of sweat congregated all over his body.

Slowing opening his eyes, Clark felt like he was floating on a cloud. His body felt heavy but his mind felt as though he was floating. He rolled his weighty head to the side where he saw his mother; she looked peaceful and slightly uncomfortable as she slept in the chair. Looking further up he saw his dad, his eyes closed. Keeping his own eyes open was harder than he thought, his heavy eyelids shut themselves, and he rolled his head over. Jonathan, who was only rest his eyes, notice Clark move. Getting up from his seat he leaned in towards him. "Clark…" he rolled his head back and opened his eyes "Dad." He whispered. Relief sprung through Jonathan's body, Martha woke and immediately rushed to her son's side.

"Honey, how do you feel?" she asked as she kissed his forehead "ok…" he lied. The numbness he felt when he woke had faded and the pain was coming back to him. Throbs of intense pain started flashing through his entire body. "I'm going to go get the doctor." Martha said with another kiss to his forehead, and then she headed out of the room. Clark closed his eyes tightly as another surge hit him.

"Clark…what's wrong son?" Jonathan said as his son winced in pain.

"It…it just…hurts." He didn't know how to tell his dad what he was feeling…..that he could feel himself dying….

Chapter 7

-------Luthor Mansion--------

Lex stood at his bar pouring himself a glass of Scotch. Pacing around his study, thoughts from the past evening raced through his mind, it was so strange to see Clark in such weakness. Clark was the one who saved everyone else; he was always there when someone needed him. When he needed someone; no one was there to save him in time. He had always thought of Clark as special, invincible almost. He felt disgusted with himself for investigating Clark; there was no possible way that he hit Clark with his car. How could someone survive being hit by a car at 60mph but almost die from a stab wound. _Clark is no more invincible than I am. He's just a regular kid._ _If he doesn't make it through this…_ Lex didn't even want to finish that thought instead he thought about what he had told Clark _I'll make sure Jeremiah can't hurt anyone else._ He was going to make Jeremiah pay for what he did to Clark. _No matter what I have to do…he will pay_

Setting his glass down on his desk he took out his cell phone and dialed. "Hello, this is Lex Luthor. I need your to find someone for me, immediately." he paused "I don't care if you're busy, this takes top priority. His name is Jeremiah Holdsclaw, I want to be notified as soon as he is found and detained." He paused again "No, don't hurt him, only do what you have to keep him from leaving. I will take care of him from there." He hung up the phone and placed it on his desk. Breathing a sigh, he rubbed his face, walked and stood in front of a bookshelf next to his desk, reached under and activated a button, which made the shelf rise. He pressed a combination into the keypad, after a few seconds the safe opened automatically. He took the ornate box out and sat it on his desk. He opened it, stared at the contents for a bit; he reached in and pulled out a chrome handgun. Grasping the handle firmly, he swung one arm around his back and placed the gun between the small of his back and his pants. Without hesitation he grabbed his coat and strode out of his study towards his garage.

-------Smallville Medical Center------

Clark awoke to the thing that had kept him from peaceful sleep all night…pain. His lungs were ablaze with every breath he took. His head was throbbing, not nearly as bad as his abdomen. Even with an inch of movement, an all-consuming pain would pulsate through his veins. He let out a soft aching moan as he shifted slightly in his hospital bed. Hearing his moan, Jonathan woke, rubbing his face with his harsh farmers hands. "Clark, how are you feeling son?"

"I've been better" he sigh then followed with a fake smile.

Giving back a smile, also a fake "Son, tell me what happened yesterday."

He swallowed and licked his lips "Umm…I was working on a paper for the torch when Jeremiah came upstairs." Swallowing again "…he told me he was sorry about what happened before…" Clark winced, it hurt with ever word "…he went to shake my hand and…" catching his breath "then he stabbed me." Jonathan had to push back his urge to cry at the thought of his son being stabbed.

Jonathan composed himself "Did he say anything to you?"

"Umm…he said that he had to kill me before he could kill Segeeth." Almost out of breath from talking so much. Breathing deeply while trying to relax as best he could.

"Son, how did he hurt you in the first place? Was it kryptonite?"

Taking a deep painful breath "He had a knife made of it…he…umm…" Taking another deep breath "learned about my weakness in Belle Re…" He couldn't finish because of the pain he suffered from talking.

"Its ok…its ok, don't talk son." Softly rubbing the uninjured side of Clarks head "Try to get some sleep, we'll talk about it when you're better" Clark looked into his dad's eyes. He knew he needed to tell him about the kryptonite that was poured onto him, but he didn't want to worry his parents more. He closed his eyes letting himself slip into the abyss. Jonathan sat back in his chair, sighing. It killed him to see his child in such anguish. This was all new to him; his son never got sick, never scrapped his knees, never had to deal with physical pain. A father is supposed to help ease his child's pain, but there was nothing he could do.

-------------MetroInn: Studio Apartments Rent by the Week-------

Jeremiah sat in his derelict room, sharpening his kryptonite blade, the television flickering in front of him. The TV reporter stood outside of LuthorCorp. 'Good Evening Metropolis, I'm just outside LuthorCorp Plaza where moments ago Lionel Luthor made an announcement that LuthorCorp would be…' click Jeremiah stood from the bed, throwing the remote back to it. "Segeeth" he snickered then broke into laughter.

Just outside his room were five men, dressed in black, wearing gas masks. One man, signaling to another, waved his hand-implying throw it now. The other man took a small cylindrical object in his hands, pulled a pin from the top and threw it through the window. Waiting only 15 seconds, they heard coughing, another 30 seconds, a thud. The men broke open the door and found what they wanted. The man who had signaled before, walked outside, took off his gas mask, dialed a number on a cell phone.

-------Smallville Medical Center---------

Lex sauntered down the halls towards Clark's room.

A knock on the door took Jonathan's attention away from his latent son. The door creaked open and Lex appeared, "Lex" Jonathan rose from his chair and went to him.

"Hello Mr. Kent How is he?" Looking towards Clark.

"Well, he's okay for now. The doctors say his wounds should heal fine. But he has a high fever." Pausing for a moment before speaking again "Listen Lex, I want to…" he stopped and looked Lex straight in his eyes "…I want to thank you." He reached his hand out. Looking at his outstretched hand, then to Jonathan, his eyes were staring down into his soul. Their hands met and Jonathan put his remaining hand on the outside of Lex's "Thank you Lex."

"Mr. Kent…I" at a loss for words "I…I'm just relieved that Clark's going to be okay."

"I'll give you some time alone…" he started to walk to the door "Martha went to something to eat, we'll be in the cafeteria." He smiled then exited.

Selfishly Lex felt pleased with himself. Jonathan Kent had shaken his hand and thanked Ihim/I; he had done a good deed and it was appreciated. But his self-satisfying thoughts left his mind when he turned to his friend. Taking the seat next to Clark, he took a deep breath. "Well Clark…I….uh…" looking at the slumbering teenager, he was again at a loss for words "I've…well, I've never been good at this sort of thing. Emotions…sympathy…expressing myself. I was taught that all those things are a weakness. If you get hurt, you don't cry and try to heal, you push it away and get revenge. I see my father and the men around him; they're strong, smart, and powerful. But they're also cold, heartless, and miserable. I just…God Clark…I don't want to be that person. I don't want to spend the rest of my life pushing every feeling away. You're probably one of the strongest and most caring man I've ever met. You've showed me that it's okay to feel, to care. That I can be a strong powerful man and still have a heart…I just…" he paused "…thank you Clark." Before he could speak more his cell phone rang. Quickly, as not to disturb his friend, he pulled it out and answered, "This is Lex" He rose and started pacing "I'll be there in 1 hour." He put his phone away and put his hand on Clark's shoulder. When he touched him, Clark turned his head and opened his eyes.

"Lex." Clark whispered

"Hey Clark…" Lex sat back down to be eye level with him "…how are you feeling?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?" he smiled, then grimaced in pain.

With a small chuckle "Listen Clark, I've got to go take care of something important. But I'll come see you tomorrow." Clark gave a weak grin, closed his eyes and drifted back to painless sleep. With a sigh, Lex left Clark's side and headed out. He was on a mission.

-------Metropolis-------

About an hour later, a helicopter landed outside an unmarked dilapidated building. Lex marched inside "Where is he?" he said sternly.

"Right this way Sir." One of the men who helped capture Jeremiah led him to a small room in the building. Jeremiah was tied to a chair with a wad of cloth in his mouth.

"Leave" Lex told the other men in the room, leaving him alone with Jeremiah. He took his gun in his hands, his arm stretched out, hatred in his eyes, he held it to Jeremiah's temple.

Chapter 8

_Lex held the gun steadfastly at Jeremiah's temple. He looked Jeremiah in the eyes and said "That was the biggest mistake of your life." Lex sneered, he took a few steps back, moved the gun from pointed at his temple to pointed directly at his heart. He pulled the trigger BANG again BANG again BANG. Without hesitation Lex turned and left the room. Swiftly walking towards the exit, he simply said "Clean this up." Then he left._

It was that simple…he had thought it through several times, why couldn't he do it? Lex could feel the darkness and hatred slowly creeping down his spine, leaving him. He stood there, staring at the man sitting there bound by ropes, with his gun still taunting Jeremiah. He thought of Clark, he wouldn't want him to do this. Clark would never kill anyone, no matter how much they deserved it. Frustrated with himself, Lex put the gun down and paced around Jeremiah. He couldn't just let him go, what if he tried to kill Clark again, or his father. No…no he had to do something with him. He stopped pacing and started fondling objects that were on a near table. There were two lime green daggers, he knew instantly that these knifes were used against Clark. He took one in his hands, analyzing it, he thought to himself. _I may not be able to kill him, but that doesn't mean I can't put him through the same torture he inflicted upon Clark._ Feeling a surge of anger flash back through his body. He went to Jeremiah and looked into his eyes "That was the biggest mistake of your life." Lex took the dagger and shoved it forcefully into Jeremiah's right thigh. A muffled roar came from the gagged Jeremiah. Lex pulled out the blade and threw it back on the table. While leaving the room he told one of the guards "Make sure he stays alive…I'll be back in a few days."

---------SMC – The Next Morning-----------

Martha had gone home to shower and change, her and Jonathan had been taking turns sitting with Clark at night. Jonathan sat next to Clark's bedside, analyzing everything that had happened the past several days.

"Dad…" Clark whispered.

"Hey there" Jonathan's attention was to his son now "how are you feeling?"

The truth was that he felt miserable. His entire body ached in torment. "Dad…I need to tell you something." With every word Clark spoke, pain ensued.

"What is it son?"

"When Jeremiah…" he paused thinking of the right way to tell his dad "well…the knifes weren't the only kryptonite Jeremiah had."

"What do you mean?"

"He had liquefied some of it." Clark froze at the sight of his father's face. Jonathan noticed the fear in Clark's eyes.

"It's okay Clark, continue" trying to watch his expressions

"Umm…well, he had a bottle of it. He…he poured in on me after he stabbed me." Jonathan's face went white; he forced the lump in his throat to subside.

"Uh…it's…it's okay, we'll just have to find a way to deal with this…umm." He'd never been so scared. He wanted to tell Clark that everything was going to be okay, but he didn't know if it was…or what to do. "Why didn't you tell us about this?"

"I didn't want to worry you and mom more."

"Clark, you can't keep things like this from us. We could've found a solution together."

"Dad, you don't understand." Clark said weakly "I can feel the kryptonite inside me. I can feel it pulsating through my veins. I can feel it draining me."

"No Clark!" he said sternly "We'll find a way to get it out of your system. We'll do somet…"

"Dad!" Clark felt like he was yelling, but it wasn't more than his normal voice "It's killing me! There's nothing anyone can do. I can feel it! It's killing me." His voice softly cracking at the thought of dying.

Jonathan stood from his seat, he was without words. His mind was racing, he felt like someone had just stabbed him in the heart. He couldn't move, all he could do was look down at his son. Clark mustered up his strength and grabbed his dad's arm. Jonathan looked into his son's tearful eyes. "Please don't tell mom." Clark pleaded "I can see her cry anymore, dad….Please don't tell her." With those words his voice cracked and he burst into tears along with his father. Jonathan sat on the edge of the bed and pulled his son into an unyielding embrace. Crying onto one anthers shoulder.

-------Later That Afternoon------

Jonathan sat outside Clark's room. He wanted to tell Martha what Clark had told him, but he couldn't. He hated keeping the truth from her, but he couldn't stomach seeing her crumble anymore._There has to be something I can do to save him. I've got to do something._ The only thing he could do was figure out a way to save his son from impending death.

The door opened and Martha walked in. "Clark honey" she walked to her son "Pete and Chloe are here. They would really like to see you." Every time she looked at him she felt her heart break into pieces. His fragile body suffering, she couldn't bear the sight. "Would you like to see them?"

Clark pushed himself up, through the pain, so he could sit a bit more upright. "Yeah…I guess I can't avoid them forever."

"Okay honey. I'll have them come in one at a time." She turned and left

After a few moments Pete walked in. "Hey man. How's it going?"

Clearing his throat "Hey Pete…I'm okay." He lied

Pete sat down next to Clark "So…your dad told me what happened…about the kryptonite knives." Pete squirmed in his chair; he was uncomfortable talking about what happened to his best friend.

Clark smiled "Yeah, tough break huh?" he let out a small laugh along with Pete, instantly breaking the tension.

Pete stopped laughing, his face turned serious "Clark…is…is there anyway to get it out of your system? I mean there's got to be something we can do. What…"

"Listen Pete, there's…" before he could finish he started coughing, his chest seized in agony, barely able to breath through the coughs. Pete stood up and went to Clark's side.

"Clark, are you okay?" you could hear his worry and fear "Should I go get a doctor?"

"No…" his coughing was starting to subside, taking death breaths trying to calm his body "no…Pete…it's…okay…I'm…I'm…just…tired…"

Pete sat back down "It's the kryptonite isn't it?"

"…What?"

"The kryptonite…that's what's making you so sick." Pete sighed

Clark closed his eyes, through his heavy breaths "I don't…really want to…talk about…it, Pete."

"Okay…umm, maybe I should go, let you get some rest." Pete said rising from his chair.

"It's okay…I'm fine. Tell Chloe she can come in."

"Alright. I'll come back tomorrow…after school. I might even bring my X-Box, so I can beat you I_again_/I." Pete laughed and Clark smiled back "I'll see ya later man."

A minute later Chloe walked in with a phony smile. "Hi Clark."

"Hi Chloe."

Chloe stood next to the chair near Clark…for once in her life she was speechless. The boy she's loved since the 8th grade was lying in a hospital bed. He looked so pale, so weak; he looked as though he was dying. It took all of her will power to not burst into tears.

Breaking the unbearable silence "Well this is a first…Chloe Sullivan without an amusing punch line." Clark smiled his infamous Kent charm smile that Chloe loved.

She smiled letting out a sigh of relief with her laughter. "You always know how to make a girl smile."

Clark gave a little laugh that quickly turned into a coughing fit. This fit was worse than any of the others. Chloe stared in panic "Clark…" his coughing didn't let up…it started to get worse. Before she could say another word she froze. Clark began coughing up blood; he started choking. Chloe ran out the door "I need help!" she screamed. Nurses rushed in, one ordered Chloe out. They aided Clark in leaning over to spit out the blood. After a few minutes of spewing blood and vomit his coughing stopped. Laying him back down a nurse injected something into his IV. His harsh and heavy breathing slowly became normal as he closed his eyes and fell back into his slumbering bliss.

When Chloe came from Clark's room screaming, Jonathan and Martha saw her and ran from the coffee machine down the hall. "What's going on Chloe? What's wrong?" Jonathan asked.

"I don't know…he just started coughing, then blood…" She started to cry. The three watched through the window as the nurses aided Clark. After a few minutes a nurse cam out.

"He's okay, he just needs to rest and not over exert himself anymore. We gave him a sedative so he can sleep easily." She said

"Thank you." Martha said, letting herself breathe again. "Chloe why don't you go home dear. I'm sure Clark will feel better tomorrow."

"Umm…okay…" she wiped tears from her eyes. "I'll come back tomorrow."

Jonathan didn't say anything; he turned and started to leave. "Jonathan!" Martha stopped him "Where are you going?"

"Martha, there's something I need to take care of."

Shocked "Take care of?? You need to stay here with your son. He needs you."

"I cannot sit here and watch my son die." He snapped

"Clark is not going to die. He's…" Jonathan cut her off

"Yes he is." He switched his tone from harsh to soft "Martha, Jeremiah poured liquid Kryptonite on Clark…" her face lit up with fear "Clark told me that he could feel himself dying. That the kryptonite is killing him." At those words Martha broke into tears. Jonathan pulled her into his arms. "I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to do whatever I can to save him."

Martha looked at him with her tear filled eyes "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know Martha…I don't know." He squeezed her one last time…turned and left.

--------Pete's House--------

Pete walked to the door after hearing the doorbell. "Mr. Kent? Umm…is everything okay? Is it Clark?"

"Pete, Clark is dying from the kryptonite. I have an idea that might save him…but I need your help."

Chapter 9

-------SMC – 2:35am-------

Martha had fallen asleep next to Clark in an uncomfortable chair. "Martha…Martha wake up." Jonathan nudged her.

"Jonathan…Where…where have you been?" she looked up from rubbing her face "Pete…what are you doing here?" Pete stood next to Jonathan, both looked tired but ready.

"Listen Martha, I've got a plan. I think it'll save Clark." He said with eagerness and a twinge of fear.

"Are you sure? What is it?" She asked

"Do you remember when Clark lost his powers a few years ago?"

She got from her chair and motion away from Clark as not to disturb his slumber. "Uh…yes…I think so. They were transferred to that boy." The light bulb clicked in her head "Wait a minute Jonathan…you're not thinking about…"

"Exactly…" Jonathan spat out "if I can leech Clark's powers from him, the kryptonite won't affect his body."

"But it's to dangerous…last time you had his abilities it took much of a toll on your body. And what if the toxins from the kryptonite still affect him." she concernedly said

"It's the only chance we have Sweetheart." He pulled her into a hug "We've got to do something. I won't use his abilities unless I have to and I'm only going to keep them until all of the kryptonite is out of his system and he's strong enough to get them back."

She looked to her son; his once strong, invincible body was now feeble and ailing. His shallow breaths echoed through her mind. Dark circles surrounded his beautiful vibrant green eyes. She could not watch him wither down anymore, tears creeping down her pale skin. "Okay honey…but please be careful."

He gave her a soft kiss on her forehead. "Alright, here's the plan. Pete said that for this to work we need a high voltage shock and meteor rock." He pulled out a small lead box "I need you to create a distraction down the hallway. If everything goes as planned the nurses won't notice anything going on in here." Martha, still a bit weary about this idea, nodded at his words "I'm not sure if this is going to make high enough voltage…" from a large duffel bag, he pulled out what appeared to be a large gun "…but it's the largest one I could get."

"Jonathan! What is that? Where did you get it?" she said sternly

"Shhh…" he put his finger to his mouth "We can't draw any attention to ourselves." He paused for a moment "This is a high voltage gun, it's only used in extreme circumstances…" he paused and braces himself for her reaction "…Pete and I stole it from the sheriff station."

Martha angrily said "You did what?!?!" she lowered her voice "How did you steal from the sheriff station?"

Pete finally spoke up "You'd be surprised how much clout the Judge's son has…" He said with a smile "…and how well distractions work." He snickered

Martha felt furious, this plan was so dangerous as it is, now Jonathan and Pete could be arrested for stealing, from police station no less. She took a few deep breaths and reminded herself what this was all for…her son's life. "What do you want me to do?" she asked

"I need you to go down the hall towards the nurse's station. When Pete closes the door, that's your signal to distract them." Jonathan and Pete had discussed the best way for everything to work on the way there.

"How am I supposed to distract them?" she asked

"I think the best way is to faint."

"Faint?"

"Yes, pretend that you're exhausted and distressed. If you faint in front of them, most likely they'll take you into another room to exam you." Jonathan said

"Okay, that shouldn't be to hard." She said while thinking _Considering that's how I feel_

"Now go outside and wait for our signal." With that, Martha walked outside and sat in a chair down the hall. Jonathan went to Clark to try and wake him. "Clark…" he lightly rubbed Clark's face "Son…wake up." After a bit of coaxing Clark opened his eyes then closed them. "Clark…I need you to stay awake for me." Jonathan pleaded

"Dad…" Clark said with his eyes slightly open "Pete…"

"Listen to me son…Pete and I are going to help you." Jonathan said in a soothing tone "I'm going to leech your powers from you…so the kryptonite won't affect you." Clark could hardly understand a word his father was saying to him. The world around him was a blur; the pain that had left him during sleep was rushing back through him. "Clark…can you hear me?" Clark closed his eyes again and fell back into the peace of sleep. Jonathan looked at Pete. "Maybe it'll be better if he's asleep for this."

"Do you think it'll work with him out?" Pete asked.

"I don't know Pete…I don't think he's strong enough to stay awake for this though." Jonathan took the lead box in his hands. "Are you ready?"

Pete took the gun in his hands, turned the power level to the maximum. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"After you close the door, wait until you hear commotion from the nurse's…then go." Jonathan ordered

"Okay…" Pete walked to the door and shut it somewhat loudly. With that, Jonathan opened the lead box, instantly the meteor rock glowed bright green and Clark flinched and a quiet moan escaped his lips. Pete rushed over to Jonathan "OK…GO!"

Jonathan took Clark's hand and held it opposite his on the meteor rock. "Turn it on!" he said. Pete turned on the gun and Jonathan took the meteor rock, along with their hands and pushed it right up against guns end that was shooting out blue sparks. Suddenly the blue sparks turned into neon green lightning bolts. Clark's eyes shot open and his upper body jolted up from the bed. Jonathan and Clark both scram from the pain of the electricity jolting through there bodies. Pete was scared; he didn't know what exactly was supposed to happen. After a minute; he quickly turned off the gun and threw it down. Clark fell back into his bed and Jonathan fell to the floor. Pete ran to Jonathan; he looked in pain, quickly Pete realized why. He ran over and picked up the lead box; taking the meteor rock from Jonathan's hand he rapidly put it back in the box and closed the lid. Jonathan got to his feet and looked at Pete. "I think it worked." He said before quickly turning his attention to his son. Clark was lying on his side breathing heavily. "Clark…Clark how do you feel?" Jonathan asked while turning Clark onto his back.

Taking deep breaths "What…happened?" Clark asked

"I took…your powers…" Jonathan said out of breath. "Can…you still…feel the kryptonite?"

Before Clark could answer the door swung open and a nurse rushed in. "What happened? I heard screaming."

Jonathan desperately tried to think of an answer, but Clark spoke first "I…I had a…nightmare."

"Oh…" the nurse looked perplexed, then looked to down to the floor "What's that?" she saw the gun lying on the floor.

Pete quickly grabbed the gun "It's mine…it's a…a…squirt gun" _Squirt gun?? That's the best you could come up with_ he thought.

The nurse quickly replied "You can't have a squirt gun in here young man!"

"I…I just…I wanted to show Clark…"

"In the middle of the night?" she asked

"Well…I thought maybe…he'd be up." Pete was so scared; she'd have to be dense to believe him.

"Well, you need to take it out of the hospital." She said

"Uh…yes…yes ma'am. I'm sorry." Pete quickly put the gun in the duffel bag; they all just looked at her…waiting for her to leave. She walked over to Clark and looked at a few of the monitors.

"Try to get some more sleep, if you keep having nightmare's we can give you something." She said to Clark, and then she turned to Jonathan and Pete "You two need to let him sleep."

"Yes ma'am" They both said…after a few seconds of her glaring at them, she left the room. As soon as the door closed the three of them looked at each other and broke into laughter.

"Ok…would someone tell me again what happened?" Clark asked

Jonathan sat down next to Clark "I took your powers from you…so the kryptonite wouldn't affect you anymore." Clark looked at him, somewhat shocked "Son, how do you feel?"

"Umm…I feel…better. My side and stomach hurt, but the rest doesn't anymore." Clark felt so relieved…the tormenting pain that constantly shot through his body was gone…he still felt as though his abdomen had been torn apart, but that was nothing compared to the pain of the kryptonite.

Pete picked up the duffel back "I'm glad you're better man, but I better get this gun out of here before that nurse comes back. I'll come back tomorrow." He started to leave.

Jonathan walked over to Pete and put his arm around him "Thank you Pete…for everything."

Pete looked at Jonathan and then Clark "Well, you know me, I'm always up for a little undercover brother." He smiled and walked out.

Jonathan went to Clark "Son, why don't you get some rest. We'll talk about this in the morning." He gave Clark's shoulder a squeeze; Clark smiled and closed his eyes. Jonathan sat back in his chair and sighed. He did it! He felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Clark would still have to recover from the stab wounds, but he wasn't slowly dying from the poison. Just then, Martha walked in.

"Did it work?" she asked

He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight embrace "Yes honey, it worked." Martha sighed and tears of relief stared pouring down her face. Her son wasn't going to die; he was saved. They walked over and sat down "What did the nurse's say to you?" he asked.

She let out a small laugh "They told me to go home and get some rest." Now for the first time in day's she would be able to.

---------Metropolis – That Morning--------

Lex walked back into the unmarked warehouse, once he got closer to the small room Jeremiah was being held in, he noticed them. All of the guards were lying on the ground, bleeding. He rushed to the room; Jeremiah was gone…..

To Be Continued………

Chapter 10

Lex ran to the only guard who appeared to be alive. "What happened?" He demanded, "Where's Jeremiah?"

The guard moaned and slowly spoke "He…attacked…he…got…Bob's gun…he…he…he's gone." The man dropped his head to the floor. Lex's mind was racing…How could Jeremiah escape? How could he kill all these guards?

_I should have killed him when I had the chance._ Lex thought _I've got to find him before he goes after my father…or Clark…_ Lex stood and ran out of the building. As soon as he got into his car he pulled out his cell phone. Speeding down the road "Dad…" he paused "Dad shut up and listen to me! I had Jeremiah, but he escaped…" he paused "…No! Damn it Dad! Don't you get it…he's going to try to kill you…" he paused "I don't care about your security teams! I had a whole team of men guarding him and he still escaped." He turned onto the highway making his way toward Smallville. "Fine Dad…if you don't think this is a big deal…then…just…dad just be careful." Lex hung up the phone…he was so frustrated…how could he let this happen!

-------Smallville Medical Center-------

Chloe was terrified to see him again. She knew that it was not her fault for what happened yesterday but a part of her felt guilty. _What if he's worse today? What if something else happens again? I can't see him._ She frozen in the hallway near Clark's room. Petrified at what she might occur today. _This is stupid Chloe…he needs you right now…you can't be so selfish._ She continued on her way, she paused again at his door, her hand on the knob. Taking a long deep breath, she exhaled and turned the knob. The image of her beloved that was burned into her mind from yesterday was instantly shattered. He was sitting, somewhat upright, in his bed; his skin had a twinkle of color, not ghastly pale anymore. He looked at her and flashed a killer smile "Hey Chloe!"

Forcing her mouth closed from her instant 'jaw drop' reaction "Hi…" she walked over to him "How…how are you feeling?"

"A lot better actually."

"That's great." She was, again, at a loss for words. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly closed it.

"Chloe…" he paused "I'm sorry about what happened yesterday…'

"No…don't apologize Clark…it's not your fault."

"…I know, I just…" he reached over and took her hand in his "I'm sorry I scared you."

Her heart started pounding, tears started to well "Please don't apologize Clark…it's okay. I mean, I was scared but…well…actually I've never been so scared in my life…" the words just came out…she didn't want to tell him that. Her emotions were so out of whack she couldn't control them anymore. "…I mean…umm…" she couldn't speak; the only thing that would be able to leave her mouth was sobs. Tears started streaming down her face.

Clark hated seeing her like this "Chloe…" she looked into his eyes and wiped her tears "I was scared too." Just thinking about everything that had happened made him want to cry too. But he wanted to be so strong for Chloe, he didn't want to cry, he wanted to show her that everything was okay. He pulled her to him and put his arms around her. "It's okay Chloe."

She sat back and looked at him "I know…I'm sorry…I thought I was going to loose you and I…" she stopped to catch her breath and wipe her tears "…I can't loose you Clark."

"You're not going to loose me." He gave her another hug "I promise…I'm not going anywhere." They sat together, embracing, neither wanted to let go. Clark's emotions were overtaking his will power; tears slowly crept down his cheeks. His physical pain had kept him from thinking about how incredibly scared he was. Now the majority of his hurt was gone and he realized just how afraid he was. "I'm glad you're here." he whispered in her ear. She smiled at him then gave him a kiss on his wet cheek "Me too."

-------SMC – Doctor's Office------

The short portly doctor sat behind his desk looking at Clark's files. Jonathan and Martha sat opposite his desk. "Well…" the chubby doctor said, "Clark is improving very well. It's strange though, yesterday he didn't seem to be doing well at all; it actually appeared he was getting worse. But today, well, his fever has gone down considerably, he is in a noticeably less amount of pain and his wounds look to be healing nicely."

Jonathan and Martha smiled to each other; Jonathan gave Martha's hand a soft squeeze.

"Now his toxicity levels are still high, but the toxin doesn't appear to be causing any harm."

"When can we take him home?" Martha asked

"Once his fever subsides and he's healed a bit more, I don't see why he can't finish recuperating at home."

"Oh that's wonderful. Thank you." Martha said

--------SMC – Clark's room-------

Chloe had her chair pushed right next to his bed. Their hands clasped together while they watched a rerun of 'Friends'. During a commercial, Chloe looked at Clark, he had fallen asleep. _He looks so peaceful_ she thought, she smiled and kissed his forehead. "Night Clark." She whispered, then turned off the TV and left his room.

Chloe passed Lex as she left the hospital. He hadn't even noticed her, _He looks focused_ she thought.

Lex briskly walked towards Clark's room, Jonathan sat just outside the door. "Mr. Kent, can I have a word with you?" Lex asked

"Sure Lex." Jonathan stood and they walked away from Martha who was sitting next to him.

"Mr. Kent, I wanted to give you a heads up." Lex wasn't exactly sure how to tell him that his son's attacker was free and probably going to come after his son again "I had some of my people looking for Jeremiah. They found him a few days ago in a small motel near Metropolis." Jonathan nodded "He was being held in a secure location, but…"

Jonathan interrupted "Wait a second, what do you mean 'was'?"

Lex took a deep breath "He escaped."

"What?"

"Believe me Mr. Kent, I'm just as shocked as you are. I had a team of skilled men guarding him…"

Jonathan interrupted again "How did one man escape from a team of men?"

"That's not what's important. I believe that when he finds out Clark is alive…" He paused "…he's going to come after him again. But I don't want you to worry about his Mr. Kent…"

"How could I not worry Lex?"

"I have a few of my security team on their way here now. I'll have someone with Clark at all times until we find Jeremiah again."

"I appreciate that, but you don't…"

Lex put his hand up "Please…Mr. Kent, let me do this. I feel guilty enough that Jeremiah is out there again. I promise you…I won't let Jeremiah hurt Clark again."

Jonathan sighed and gave Lex a pat on his shoulder "Thanks."

Just then Lex realized that he had been so preoccupied with Jeremiah that he hadn't visited or checked up on Clark. "How's he doing?"

"Better" Jonathan thought back to his son's condition the night before "He's a lot better actually. The doctor said he might be able to come home in a few days."

"That's great."

"He's sleeping right now, but if you want to hang around…I'm sure he wants to see you." The past few days had made Jonathan appreciate Lex's friendship with his son, he turned out to be a good friend.

"I'd love to but I have a few things I need to take care of." Meaning…Jeremiah. "I'll come around sometime tomorrow." Lex left the hospital and headed back to the mansion, he had to find Jeremiah before he attacked someone else.

Chapter 11

-------Two Weeks Later-------

Clark had been home for a week and things were starting to feel normal again. He didn't have his abilities, which felt weird to him, but he was healing nicely. He somewhat liked not having his powers, he didn't have to worry about concealing them and he liked feeling completely normal. However, he missed them whenever he wanted to do something he normally used his powers for. Luckily he didn't have to do any manual labor, doctor's orders. He had about another month of healing before he could help his father with the farm chores. His wounds were tender and occasionally he would feel a sharp pain if he ran into something. The majority of the pain had subsided and the leftovers were numbed with painkillers. Clark spent most of his days sitting at home; watching TV or reading. His Mom was leery about letting him leave; the truth was that she was scared. Jeremiah was still unaccounted for and she was terrified that he would attack her son again.

-------Kent Farm------

Clark sat on the stool in the kitchen; he was waiting for the fresh cookies his mother made to cool down. It was unusual for him to wait; normally the heat of the oven fresh cookies didn't faze him. Finally getting the nod from his mother that they were cool he devoured into them. Swallowing his last bite, he took a gulp of milk. "Mom, can I go to the Torch, please?"

Martha hated telling him no, especially when he flashed his Kent Charm smile and gave his 'please mom' face. Ever since he was little she wasn't able to resist that face and he knew it. "Well, I guess for a while. But I want you home before dark."

"Thanks Mom." He gave her a kiss on the cheek; grabbed a few cookies for the road and headed out the door. He climbed into the red truck; started the engine and drove down the driveway towards town.

--------The Torch-------

Clark was excited to see Chloe; they had spent a lot of time together recently. He wasn't sure exactly how he felt about her, but he knew that he loved spending time with her. They had grown much closer after what had happened; they seemed to have an emotional connection since the day they shed tears together in the hospital. He stopped in the doorway, Chloe was typing away at her computer. She was wearing a green top that made her eyes vibrantly beautiful. He watched her eyes as they darted back and forth at the computer screen. _Wow…she looks beautiful._ he thought.

Suddenly her eyes shot up and saw him standing there staring at her. "Hi Clark, were you planning and standing there all night?"

Snapping out of his trance, he laughed in embarrassment "Hi, sorry I was just…uh…" he walked in "…so what are you working on?" he changed the subject.

"Oh just putting the finishing touches on next weeks issue." She swiveled around in her chair and faced Clark who was now sitting on the couch. "So I see your Mom finally let you leave the house."

"Yeah" he laughed, "I had to pull out the charm but she finally caved."

Clark smiled at her. Chloe smiled back and blushed a little; his mega watt smile made her melt. She hadn't been this happy in a long time. She had spent almost all her time away from school and the torch with him. "When do you get to come back to school?" she asked.

"Umm…I think in a week. My doctor said I couldn't be around large crowds for a while, so I don't get bumped in the stomach."

"Well, I can't wait for you to get back. History and lunch just aren't the same without you around." She smiled. A silence fell upon them and it quickly became uncomfortable. Clark and Chloe normally didn't have moments like this; they could talk for hours without hesitation, but lately it seemed there was this unusual tension. Chloe was aware of her feelings for Clark and she had perfected putting them aside for their friendships sake. Clark however was starting to feel differently about her and he wasn't sure what it was or why. They sat for a few minutes, Chloe shuffled papers around her desk and Clark fidgeted in his seat. He had never been what you would call 'good with the ladies', in fact, he was clueless. He knew that he loved being around her, but did that mean he had feeling for her. Every time he saw her his heart jumped, his face would get flushed and he could feel his stomach twisting (in a good way).

He couldn't take anymore of the silence "So…umm…what are…umm…what are you doing tomorrow Chlo?" he nervously spat out.

"I have no plans whatsoever." She smiled _Is he going to ask me on a date?_ She had seen Clark awkward like this before, whenever he was around Lana he would start acting like a bumbling fool.

"Oh…uh…did you want to…I mean…maybe we could…like get together…to study…or something…" he sputtered.

_He's just too adorable._ she thought. He was so cute when he was nervous she couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah sure…that would be fun." She laughed

"Hey…don't laugh at me!" he smiled and laughed.

She laughed then made a very serious face "Sorry. I won't do it again." She stared at him, seriously, for a few seconds then broke into laughter again. She sighed as her laughter subsided "So…what do you want to do?"

"I don't care, whatever you want." He replied

"Well, how about I come over and we watch a movie? I can pick one up from the video store on my way over."

"Okay, that sounds good." He paused "I better get going though, Mom didn't want me gone long." He got up to leave "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Sure thing. See you later." She watched him leave and sighed. Things were finally going the way she wanted between them. Even if things were going great; in the back of her mind she couldn't help but fear that he would change his mind and leave her heartbroken. She pushed those thoughts out of her head and started to think of what she was going to wear.

---------Luthor Mansion--------

Clark walked through the stained glass double doors into Lex's study. "Hey Lex." He walked towards the glass desk and sat in a chair across from the stylishly dressed man.

"Hi, how are you doing?" Lex asked while closing his laptop.

"Great actually."

"That's great Clark."

"So how's the search for Jeremiah going?" Clark asked.

"You didn't have to come all the way over here to ask, you could've called."

"I know, but I'm taking every chance I get to leave the house." He laughed.

"Ah I see, so your parents are being a little protective."

"Yeah, especially Mom. The sooner we find Jeremiah the better. I'm getting really bored. So any news?"

"A few days ago we got a report that someone spotted him down an alleyway in Metropolis. But they weren't able to find any trace of him." Lex had a team of specialist searching for Jeremiah. "I've been in contact with Professor Willowbrook and he's going to notify me if he hears anything about him through the tribe." Lex paused and walked around to him. "Clark, I would feel a lot better about all this if you would let my security watch over you." He put his hand on Clark shoulder.

"Thanks Lex, but like I said, it's just a little weird having someone follow me around. Besides, I think I'll be fine." The truth was that Clark hating having someone following him watching his every move. Even though he didn't have his powers, his father did and they couldn't take the chance of Lex's security seeing them. Jonathan didn't use his new abilities much, but they came in handy when he was backed up on work; which was often now that Clark couldn't help. Clark stood up "Well, thanks for the update. I better get going." He walked out of the study and headed home. He had to prepare for his 'date' with Chloe. He wasn't sure if it was an actual date but he wanted to make it special.

-------Kent Farm-------

Clark was dressed in his nicest red flannel shirt and jeans. He made his parents go into town for the night so he and Chloe could have the house to themselves. He was nervous; he straightened up the living room, making sure it looked presentable. Chloe had been to his house millions of times but this was different. He wanted the night to be perfect _I guess this is a date…why else would I be so nervous._ He had a bowl of popcorn and a few sodas sitting on the coffee table. He paced around the room; every so often checking the window to see if she was driving down the road._This is so stupid…It's Chloe…we've sat in this same room and watched movies tons of times…Get a hold of yourself Kent!_ He sat down on the brown leather couch and tried to calm himself. After a few more minutes of waiting, there was a knock on the door. He took a deep breath and got up to go answer the door. As he was opening it he said "Chloe you know you don't need to kno…" he stopped immediately, his smiled ripped away from his face. His heart started pounding and then dropped into his stomach. Jeremiah stood on the porch with an evil glare on his face.

Chapter 12

-------Kent Farm-------

Clark instinctively tried to slam the door back shut, but Jeremiah was quick enough to get there before. Jeremiah stuck his foot between the door and the wall; he forcefully pushed the door causing it to fly open. Clark quickly stepped back away from him. All the memories from their last encounter flooded his mind. How was he supposed to get away; the kryptonite wouldn't affect him anymore but he didn't have any of his powers. He was still a big, strong kid but he was a lot weaker with his injuries. Jeremiah followed him as he backed up the hallway next to the staircase.

Clark backed up into the table that lined the stairs, knocking over a few picture frames. Jeremiah narrowed in on Clark, almost pinning him against the table. "Jeremiah please don't do this." Clark pleaded, "I told you before, I never claimed to be Namand. I don't…" he waited until Jeremiah was close enough to him, then, in an instant he shoved him up against the opposite wall and clocked him in his face. Jeremiah grabbed his nose; Clark didn't stay around long enough to notice the blood dripping from it.

He ran to get his Dad's shotgun that hung near the other staircase. He figured the shotgun would be the only way to stop Jeremiah but he prayed that he wouldn't have to use it. Before he reached the end of the hallway something hit him in the back of his head causing him to fall to the floor; glass shattered around him. Jeremiah had recovered quick enough to grab the flower vase on the table and chuck it at Clark. Jeremiah ran over to him; standing over him he started punching him in the face. Clark's adrenaline was so high from rage couldn't feel the pain that was being inflicted upon him. Clark kneed Jeremiah in the groin; he let out a small whimper and fell to the floor.

Clark scrambled to his feet and started for the living room; Jeremiah got to his knees and lunged at Clark. He just barely reached him and grabbed his ankle. In the process of falling, Clark knocked over a floor lamp that sat near the sofa. The lamp fell between the sofa and a near by chair, the top of it fell onto the coffee table knocking the popcorn bowl over. In one swift moment Jeremiah pulled one of the kryptonite blades from his pocket and stabbed it into Clark's left thigh. Clark let out a yelp of pain and clutched his bleeding thigh. Jeremiah got to his feet and put his arm around Clark's neck; holding him in a headlock he put the knife to Clark's neck.

-------Meanwhile – Down the Road------

Chloe drove down the dirt road with the top down in her VW Beetle. Lying in her passenger seat was a few boxes of candy, a DVD, and her purse. She was so excited for her evening with Clark. She pulled under the large wooden arbor with a sigh dangling underneath it that read 'Kent Farm'. She pulled her orange Beetle to a stop next to the white picket fence. Grabbing the items in her passenger seat exited her car and headed for the picturesque yellow farmhouse.

The front door was wide open _That's strange._ she thought as she climbed the steps to the porch. She opened the screen door and peaked inside "Clark?" she called. There was no answer; she walked inside. At the end of the hallway was shattered glass dispersed across the floor. She peered into the living room, popcorn was everywhere, there was a broken lamp lying next to the coffee table. Fear crept its way up her spine. "Clark!?" she yelled. She put her belongings down next to the fallen picture frames on the table near the staircase. Slowly and cautiously she walked down the hall towards the kitchen. The glass crunching beneath her feet, she walked into the dinning room; she heard a noise and quickly spun around facing the entrance of the living room next to the kitchen. Her heart began pounding relentlessly in her chest.

Jeremiah came around the corner from the living room, he drug Clark with him, still holding him tight. Clark was on his knees; blood pouring from above one; Jeremiah held a knife tight against his neck. Clark saw Chloe; he saw the panic in her eyes. "Chloe, get out of here!!" he yelled, quickly followed by a grunt caused by a knee to the chest from Jeremiah.

Chloe's body jumped when Jeremiah kneed him. She couldn't believe this was happening. Things we're finally going great and now this…again! She took a step forward "What…what do you want?" she asked.

Jeremiah gritted his teeth together and sneered at her "I want him to DIE!!" he took the blade and shoved it into Clark's left side.

"Clark!" she yelled as she ran over to them. Clark let out a load moan and fell to the floor as Jeremiah let go of his neck. Jeremiah grabbed Chloe by her arms and pushed her back against the open staircase. She tried to fight back but he was holding her arms so tight she couldn't move them much.

He pushed her down against the stairs hard "Stay out of this!" he yelled into her face. He turned around and began walking towards Clark as he grimaced on the floor in agony. Chloe got to her feet and ran at Jeremiah; she was not going to sit idly by and let him kill Clark. Jeremiah dunked down and spun on one leg, the other stretched out. Chloe tripped over his leg and fell. Jeremiah grabbed her again and thrust her at the wooden beam that stood between the dinning room and kitchen. She hit her head on the beam hard knocking her unconscious.

Clark saw her fall to the floor. "Chloe!" he moaned. The rage he felt before filled him again and he mustered all the strength he had left. He pulled himself up using the wall for support. Jeremiah turned to him and ran; Clark bent over like a linebacker and thrust his shoulder into Jeremiah's gut causing him to flip over onto the floor. Jeremiah pulled another tripping move and swung around knocking Clark's feet out from under him. He stood and picked Clark up by his collar, he turned towards the living room and threw Clark down onto the coffee table, breaking it.

Clark rolled over clutching his abdomen; he looked down and saw blood. "No…" he whispered, his almost healed wound had ripped open. The tormented pain was overtaking his rage. Jeremiah stood back and watched as Clark tried to get up; he got to his knees but moments later collapsed back down upon the busted table. He let out groans and moans of anguish. He thought he was going to die for sure this time. His thoughts were interrupted by torrid, excruciating pain. Jeremiah pulled the blade out from his lower back; scarlet blood dripping from its tip. He had stabbed Clark in his left kidney. Clark yelled in mortal agony; Jeremiah laughed.

Jeremiah took hold of Clark's ankles and started pulling him towards the kitchen. Clark let out a deafening wail as his fresh wounds were pulled over the broken table, pieces of wood jabbing into him. His suffering was too much to take; he wanted to die; he knew he was going to die. He couldn't feel anything but torment; blackness started to cover his eyes, then it completely overtook them. Jeremiah struggled to get his heavy, limp body through the kitchen door. He wanted to take Clark somewhere no one would find him, so he could watch and make sure he dies. He got him through the door and onto the porch; he picked him up and let him tumble down the steps onto the ground. Just then Jeremiah heard the sound of a truck door slam, then another. He looked to Clark; there was no way that anyone could survive this, he thought to himself. He quickly ran down the steps and around the house then he disappeared into the cornfield, leaving Clark's almost lifeless body lying on the ground at the bottom of the porch stairs.

Martha walked up the front porch steps closely followed by Jonathan. "Hi kids, Jonathan left his wallet upstairs so we'll be out of your hair in a minute…" she said as she immediately headed upstairs. But she stopped just a few steps up and she looked into the destroyed living room. She turned and rapidly followed Jonathan who was already headed into the kitchen. "Chloe…" she screeched when she saw her lying motionless on the kitchen floor. Jonathan got to Chloe first and gently rubbed her face while Martha knelt beside her. Neither noticed the blood that trailed out the door.

"Chloe…wake up….Chloe…" he stopped when he notice her stirring.

"What…what…" she woke and Jonathan helped her sit up by holding her shoulders.

Before she could finish her incoherent words Jonathan spoke. "Chloe, where is Clark?" he seriously asked.

"Uh…" she rubbed her head "I don't…I don't know…Jeremiah…" Martha looked at Jonathan; she could see the anger and fear in his eyes. "…he stabbed him…he was in the living room." Tears started pouring down her cheeks; she was scared. So was Martha, her worst nightmares had come true. Jonathan got up from Chloe and rushed to the living room. Martha helped Chloe into one of the dinning room chairs. Instantly after seeing the puddle of blood on the broken table Jonathan noticed the trail leading outside. He ran to the door pulled it open and walked outside. He froze at the top of the stairs; there was his son, still as night, covered in blood. "Oh my God…"

Chapter 13

In one swift jump he was at his sons side. He checked for a pulse. _Oh thank God. _He had a soft pulse; it was few and far between but it was there and that was enough for Jonathan. He rolled Clark onto his back; he wasn't breathing. Jonathan started CPR; Martha and Chloe came out onto the porch. Martha gasped and rushed to Jonathan's side; Chloe froze in her spot and started crying. Jonathan looked up to Chloe, "Chloe did Jeremiah have any meteor rock with him? Did he use any on Clark?"

She composed herself so she could speak "No…no didn't see any. The knife was green, but that's it."

The second she finished Jonathan super-sped to the barn and was back in an instant. He had a small led box with him. He stopped and started to pick Clark up; holding him in his arms like a father holds a sleeping child. "Jonathan what are you doing?" Martha let out between her tears.

"Just trust me Martha." With that he sped over to the nearest telephone pole. He gently laid Clark on the ground. He was livid; hatred boiled inside his veins. He wanted to go back in time and protect his child. He wanted his son to be and feel safe. He wanted everything to be normal again. He wanted to kill Jeremiah for what he had done. Feeling the loathing engulf his mind, body and soul Jonathan hit the telephone pole with all his force, instantaneously breaking it in two. Catching the top half, which carried the power lines, he let it drop to the ground causing a rumble around him. He ripped one of the cords and began walking towards his dormant son.

Chloe watched in fearfulness. How did Jonathan break that in half? What was he doing with the power lines? How would this help Clark? She saw Jonathan walking to Clark with a power line in hand. "What is he doing?!" She said to herself and started running to him. _He's going to kill him…no…he wouldn't do that…but what his he doing??_

Martha ran after her "Chloe stop!" she yelled, but Chloe didn't waver. She's going to find out Clark's secret. How can we explain this? She's going to try and stop Jonathan. "Chloe, please stay back!" Martha tried to catch up to her; as she drew closer Chloe suddenly stopped to watch the green lightning bolts.

Jonathan took his free hand and opened the lead container. His body felt instantly weak, as if someone drained all his strength and energy. His stomach churned and his head started spinning. He had never felt such pain in his life. It was amazing how a small rock of all things could bring such misery. He felt sick to think that his son endured this pain so often. He dropped to his knees and crawled his way to Clark. He put the rock in his son's hand and gripped it tightly with his own. The power cord in his other hand, sparks emitting from its end, he pushed it against the revealed side of the meteor rock. It was a storm of lightning surrounding them; sparks and bolts surging violently. Jonathan's entire being shook fiercely along with Clark's. He threw the power cord as far as he could, immediately falling to the ground after.

The suns luster began to diminish, its golden hues gradually fading into orange and pink. Jonathan pushed himself from the ground; he felt weak and tired. But his feelings quickly fled his mind when he saw Clark lying idle on the grass. He ran to his son's side and ripped his blood-drenched shirt open and waited. Chloe and Martha arrived in a jiffy, both trying to catch their breath. Chloe felt nauseous when she caught sight of Clark. Blood covered his abdomen; his partially healed lesion was torn open with blood spurting from it. She was about to ask what on earth had just happened but suddenly she couldn't speak. She was in pure astonishment at what she saw; the lesion stopped bleeding and closed itself shut. Clarks pale skin gradually turned back to its usual sun kissed tan. His chest began slowly moving up and down; he was breathing again.

Martha felt like the weight of the world had been instantly lifted off her. _He's going to be _okay. she thought. But the gig was up; Martha knew Chloe would want answers. How could she not; she had just seen her best friends dad knock down a telephone pole with his fist, electrocute himself and his son, not only did they live from it but then her friends body healed its fatal wounds itself. But Martha didn't care if they had to tell Chloe the truth, her son was going to live and that's all that mattered.

Jonathan turned Clark onto his side; both of his other stab wounds had healed as well. "We better get him inside." Jonathan said while lifting Clark into his arms. Martha and Chloe silently followed him threw the field towards the yellow farmhouse. It took Jonathan a great deal of exertion to carry his full-grown son up the stairs. The living room was in ruins and he did not want Clark to wake up there. The two women stayed downstairs; they stood just inside the kitchen staring at the mess that had awaited them. Their silence was deafening; Chloe wanted to ask all the questions that flooded her thoughts. Was that Clark Kent's big secret? He can heal himself. Were he and Mr. Kent affected by the meteor rocks? What happened? But she knew that now was not the time to ask.

"Chloe, are you okay?" Martha asked, Chloe had been attacked too; they had found her unconscious.

Chloe thought for moment "Physically…yes."

"I know you must have a lot of questions…"

Chloe cut her off "Mrs. Kent, it's okay…I can wait…" Martha gave her a weak, fake smile then hugged her. Chloe hadn't felt the loving embrace of a mother since she was a child. She had always envied Clark because she knew how much his mom loved him. She wanted to cry and never let go.

Upstairs Jonathan laid his son down on his bed. He took off his blood soaked shirt and threw it into the trash bin. He pulled the quilt that lay at the end of the bed, over Clark covering him. Jonathan sat next to him and sighed. _I hope I did the right thing…of course I did, his body healed…he just needs time to rest…he'll be okay._ he reassured himself. Martha came into the room; Chloe decided to give them time alone and stayed downstairs. Martha looked at her resting son then to her exhausted husband. Jonathan stood from the bed and they met mid-room and embraced.

"Why don't you go lay down…try to get some rest. I'll sit with him." Martha said almost as an order. Jonathan nodded, kissed her, and went into his bedroom. Martha took another look at her sleeping son. She left the room and went to the bathroom down the hall. She took a few towels in her arms; she soaked one in water and went back to Clark's room. She sat beside him and pulled the quilt down to his waistline. Taking the wet towel she began to wipe the drying blood from his chiseled body.

Chloe sat at the dining table; she rubbed the back of her head and found a golf ball sized lump. She got up and went to the kitchen; she searched drawers and cabinets, desperately trying to find aspirin. It's amazing how she didn't realize she had a killer headache until she found the lump. Her mind had been so preoccupied; she found a small bottle of pain relievers and popped a few in. She took a sip of water and found herself staring at the wrecked living room. Memories that would haunt her forever lingered in her thoughts. The moment Jeremiah had stabbed Clark; the look on both their faces; jubilance and misery. She decided she was useless just standing and pondering. She searched for a mop or anything that could clean the streaks of blood from the wooden floor. She didn't want Martha to have to clean it up and the sight of the blood tracks made her relive the evening over and over again. Unable to find a mop and wanting to keep herself busy; Chloe grabbed a roll of paper towels, filled a bucket with warm soapy water, she got to her hands and knees and began scrubbing. Relentlessly scrubbing the blood, the pain, and the memories away.

Clark awoke; he was in dark room, he blinked a few more times and tried to focus his eyes; he was in his room. He remembered all that had happened; but it was strange, he didn't feel any pain, in fact he felt better than he had in a month. He felt like himself again, it was instinct, he knew his abilities were his again but he didn't know how he got them back. He turned his head and saw his mother lying beside him, clutching a pillow. He rolled onto his other side and saw it was four thirty in the morning. Feeling his eyes get heavy again he closed them and went back to sleep.

Martha woke up about fifteen minutes later. Clark was sleeping peacefully; she smiled and rose from the bed. She went down stairs and found Chloe sleeping in a chair in the living room. The room was clean; the broken coffee table and lamp were gone, the popcorn and pieces of glass had been swept up. She walked into the kitchen; the floor was spotless, then entire downstairs was spotless. She breathed a sigh of relief; she was so grateful to Chloe; the last thing a mother wants to do after her son almost died is clean. Martha went to her and tried to rouse her; Chloe stirred and opened her eyes. "Chloe honey, go upstairs, you can stay in the guest room."

Chloe rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Thanks Mrs. Kent, but I think I'm going to stay up." She stood up and stretched her limps. "How's Clark?"

Martha smiled and ushered Chloe to the kitchen "I think he's going to be just fine." She fiddled through the cabinets "You must be starved, I'll make some breakfast."

"Umm…Mrs. Kent." Martha stopped what she was doing and looked at her. "What happened yesterday?"

Martha took a deep breath and began "Well, like everything else in this town. The meteor shower…"

Chapter 14

Martha took a deep breath and began "Well, like everything else in this town. The meteor shower was when it happened." She tried to find the right way to tell Chloe. This was a big bomb she was about to drop on her. "Chloe…Clark came to us on the day of the meteor shower."

Chloe looked puzzled "What do you mean?"

"Clark came with the meteor shower…he's from another planet." Chloe just started at her; she didn't notice that her jaw had dropped to the floor. Martha continued to speak at Chloe's silence "Our truck fell into a crater that was made by his ship and well…"

Chloe spoke up "You found him?"

"No, he found us." Martha said with a slight smile. "And we couldn't just turn him over to the authorities, so we brought him home until we figured out what to do." Martha fiddled through the drawer to find a spatula. It was strange, she'd never told anyone this story before. She loved being honest to Chloe and that she could finally talk about how she felt when they found they're little bundle of joy. "It was the most amazing time, we fell completely in love with him." she noticed that Chloe still had a look of 'what the hell?' on her face. "I know this must be a lot for you to take in. But it's the truth." She wasn't sure if Chloe even believed her.

They sat in silence for a minute, Martha's doubt and fears came back to her and she hoped she made the right decision. Then Chloe spoke, "Ya know, I always new that there had to be one good thing that came from the meteor shower." She smiled. Martha's fears and doubts flew out the window again; she gave her a hug and went back to making her eggs. "So…umm…" Chloe had a million questions to ask. This was amazing, her best friend and the guy she's loved for years is an alien. "So that's why he healed?" Then she thought about everything else that happened. "Wait…does Mr. Kent have…umm, powers…too? And if Clark can heal himself then how did he get hurt in the first place? And…"

Martha cut her rambling off. "Maybe I should explain more." She placed a plate of eggs down on and her and Chloe began eating as she spoke. "Clark has amazing abilities and only one weakness." She took a bite of eggs. "Kryptonite."

Chloe's eyes shot from her plate. "Kryptonite?"

Martha chuckled "Oh right…meteor rock. See Krypton was the planet he came from. His birth parents sent him here before the planet was destroyed. It erupted and caused the meteor shower; the meteor rocks are actually Kryptonite…piece from Krypton. We're not sure why, but Clark is extremely, well for lake of a better word, he's allergic to them. They make him deathly sick and they're probably the only think that can kill him." Martha stopped, she had never actually said that before and it scared her to talk about her son dying, especially after everything that's happened.

Chloe swallowed some eggs, "Wow…well, it makes sense…I never noticed before but now that you mention it he always acted weird and looked sick whenever meteor rocks were around." She thought for a moment.

Martha continued her story "Jeremiah somehow found out about his weakness and made Kryptonite knives. We had to do something or Clark would've died. So Jonathan took Clark's abilities so the Kryptonite wouldn't affect him."

"How'd he do that? How'd he know it would work?"

"Do you remember Eric Summers?" Martha asked, Chloe nodded. "He and Clark were struck by lightning and Eric had meteor rocks with him and somehow Clark's abilities were transferred to him."

"Whoa, so Clark can do the things Eric did?"

"Yes, I'll explain his abilities later." Chloe nodded in agreement "So Jonathan 'leeched' his abilities and yesterday he gave them back, so he would heal. Thank God it worked." She smiled.

"Whoa, that's insane." She paused "I mean, this is incredible. Everything makes perfect sense now, that's why Clark's always there to save the day. He's like a superhero!" She paused. "So…tell me about these abilities…what can our superman do?" she smiled.

Martha laughed and looked towards the stairs "Why don't you ask him?"

Clark walked down the stairs wearing a pair of red flannel pants and a blue t-shirt. His brown locks were wildly sticking out in every direction. He walked into the kitchen, sat down next to Chloe and started eating her eggs. "Help yourself!" Chloe snapped jokingly. "So when were you going to tell me you're a big dumb alien!" she laughed.

He instantly started choking on his mouthful of eggs and coughed out. "W-wh-at?"

"You heard me!" she laughed "I mean, it's not everyday you meet an alien, right?"

"Chloe…I, uh…what?" he had just woken up and wasn't sure if he was hearing her right.

Martha spoke up with a small laugh "Clark honey, it's ok. I told her everything." He gave her a look of 'why?'. "I had to, she saw everything."

Clark wasn't sure what to say, he didn't have much practice in talking with someone about this. Chloe didn't look upset, in fact, she looked kind of happy. "Umm…" He couldn't say anything else; he just sat there and stared at her. He looked like a lost puppy that was confused and scared that they were going to take him to the pound. "I…umm…"

Chloe laughed; she put her hand on his face and turned it towards hers. "I'm not mad Clark." He flashed a smile. "How are you feeling?" she had almost forgotten that he was brutal stabbed yesterday.

He sat up straight and took a sip of Chloe's orange juice. "I feel great actually, better than ever!"

"Well, that's a relief." Martha walked around the table and gave her son a small hug and kiss on his forehead. "But you don't look so great…go take a shower." She smiled and rustled his tattered locks with her hands.

He took one last bite of eggs and stood up to leave. "Hey Chloe, you want to hang around for a while? So we can talk more."

"Yeah, but I think I'm going to go home and change first, but I'll come back." He smiled and jogged his way up the stairs. She couldn't help but smile, it was weird, yesterday her world crashed down around her. She thought he was going to leave her forever. But today, he's alive and better than ever and she finally knew the big Kent family secret. The thought flashed through her mind _They didn't want to tell me…they had to._ She pushed the it out of her head. She didn't care if they didn't want her to know. She knew and things could only get better from here.

The shower caused the bathroom to fill with a misty cloud of warm steam. Clark pulled his blue t-shirt over his head and let it fall to the yellow rug that covered the tiles. He looked at his body in the mirror; there was a thin film of dried blood smeared along his chest. His wounds were completely healed but they left several scars. The largest was in his abdomen; he figured it was about three inches long. He counted three smaller scars, two on his left side and one on his right. They looked more like burns than scars; there were no marks from stitches, as if they had been burned closed. He examined his wounds for a bit the finished undressing. The smoggy air engulfed him as he stepped under the scolding waterfall. The droplets hit him like tiny water balloons bursting upon impact. He stuck his head directly under the fall and let the flow run over his dirty disheveled hair. His bangs clung to his forehead dripping profusely onto his cheeks.

He felt normal again...normal for him. His entire life he'd pray to be normal, he hated being different. The time he spent without his abilities didn't make him feel normal though, he felt as much as an outsider as he always did. But the world hadn't outcast him, he had. He didn't feel like himself, he never realized just how much of a part of him his abilities were. They weren't just things he could do, they were apart of who he was. Now for the first time he had a true heartfelt appreciation for them and what they allow him to do.

Chapter 15

After his shower Clark dressed in his usual jeans and plaid flannel shirt. He headed down the back staircase overlooking the dining room. His parents were sitting at large wooden dining table. They looked to be in deep conversation, their faces held fear. Martha looked from Jonathan to Clark. "Clark…how are you feeling?" she asked with a smile.

"Great!" he smiled "I feel like myself again." He sat across from Martha and next to Jonathan who was at the head of the table.

Clark opened his mouth to speak but Jonathan beat him to it. "Your Mother and I were just discussing what needs to be done next." Clark's smile faded; he knew what his Father meant. He looked at him with an expressionless face. Taking that Clark was in clue with them he continued. "Jeremiah is still out there…" he sighed and looked away, "…and as much as I hate to admit it…" he looked back to Clark, "…you're the only one who can stop him."

Just as he finished his words Clark reacted, "Dad how am I supposed to stop him?"

He sighed again and rubbed his face with his hands, "The only way you can." He paused, "If we can get the Kryptonite away from him you'll be able to stop him." Clark was about to speak again but was cut off, "I know…how are we supposed to get it away." He asked rhetorically. "I'm going to go with you and get the knives away from you."

"No…no you can't come, it's to dangerous." Clark replied.

"I have to Clark. Someone has to get rid of the Kryptonite."

"But…" Clark's interruption was cut off.

"I am not going to let you go after him yourself!" Jonathan's voice was raised in anger. He wasn't angry with Clark, he was furious with Jeremiah. He wasn't going to sit idly by and let his son fight a battle he couldn't win. Jonathan had always felt inadequate when it came to protecting Clark. A mans role as a father is to protect your child. Clark didn't have much of a need for protection, except for Kryptonite. Jonathan may not have been able to armor his son in the past but now he could and he was going to fulfill his duty. His tone shifted from anger to concern. "I am not going to let you get hurt." The idea of Clark being brutally hurt again terrified him more than he thought possible.

Clark could see the fear in his father's eyes. As much as he didn't want his father to be in harms way and come with him, he new arguing would do no good. Clark was a stubborn kid but he learned it from the best…his dad. He sighed, "What are we going to do?"

Jonathan stood and pushed his chair in towards the table. "I have an idea, but we need a few things."

Clark and Martha stood as well. She gave them a hug and whispered 'be careful' and 'I love you' to them both. All three walked to the kitchen door; Martha stood in the doorway and watched as they headed towards the barn. Her stomach twisted in tight knots; she was scared stiff. Thoughts of 'what ifs' danced through her mind. What if Clark gets hurt again? What if Jonathan gets hurt? What if she looses them both? What if she's left alone? Her only child, who she so desperately longed and waited for, was purposely seeking after the monster, who, could and would hurt him. Her husband, her soul mate, her confidant, her rock was risking everything as well. She wanted with every fiber in her being to run after them and beg them to stay. Beg them not to leave her to wait and wonder. To be alone with her unnerving thoughts of fear and loneliness.

Jonathan and Clark exited the barn and were headed for their truck when Chloe pulled up. "Hey Clark!" she said while getting out of her car and walking to him. "Where are you going?"

Clark stopped; he and Jonathan exchanged looks. "This isn't a good time Chloe, can you come back tomorrow?" he said walking her back to her car in a rush.

"Uh, yeah I guess." She stopped at her door, "What's going on?"

"Nothing, just come back tomorrow, we'll talk then." He opened her car door and motioned for her to get in.

Chloe was frustrated now. She finally knew his secrets and he still wasn't being honest and open with her. She complied and got in her car. "Okay, umm…see you tomorrow." She knew him all to well, persisting for answers wouldn't get her any. If Clark Kent wants to keep something secret, he will. He gave her a smile and walked over to the truck, his dad was already in the drivers seat with the engine running. Chloe waited until they drove away before leaving herself. She knew something was going on, something important, something dangerous. Clark always had a certain look to him when he's about to 'save the day'. If there was one thing Chloe was good at it was getting answers. One way or another, she was going to get them. She pulled out of the Kent driveway onto the road heading in the same direction as the old red truck.

----The Woods----

Jonathan and Clark parked the truck and were now hiking down a wooded trail. Clark had an idea of where their destination was. Professor Willowbrook referred to it as 'the slumbering place', a burial ground where the ancient Kawatche used to perform death rituals. He'd confronted Jeremiah there twice in the past. Clark stopped; he used his x-ray vision to see threw the rows of trees. "There's a clearing ahead…" he said to his father while x-raying again. "He's there." He turned back to Jonathan. "How are we going to do this?"

"If we can get close enough without scaring him off, you can use your heat vision to distract him."

"What?" Clark asked, "You want me to start a fire…a forest fire?"

"Just a small bush, we'll put it out. You need to distract him so I can get the Kryptonite."

"Dad how are you going to get it from him?"

"I've got an idea." He lied; he didn't have a clue what to do. All he knew was Jeremiah needed to be stopped and it needed to happen now. "Wait here." Jonathan took his gun in his hands and began quietly creeping towards the clearing.

Clark watched as his dad crept into his position. Jeremiah was atop a large rock, he appeared to be performing a Kawatche ritual. To Clark it looked like some sort of yoga or interpretive dance. Once Jonathan was in place he signaled Clark, who then searched for a small bush to burn. He found one in the opposite direction of his father; he focused on it and caused it to burst into flames. The sudden eruption caught Jeremiah off guard; before he could gain his bearing again something collided with the backside of his knees. His back impacted the rock and a cold, dark barrel of a shotgun met his eyes. "Don't move!" Jonathan sneered. With one had steadily holding his gun and his finger on the trigger, he took his free hand a ripped the blade from Jeremiah's hand. The sight of the blade made Jonathan sick with anger. It was a vibrant green, it was ragged and sharp, and it was camouflaged in a crimson red. He put his focus back to Jeremiah who was glaring back at him. "Where's the other one!" Jonathan demanded but received no answer, only an evil grin. "Where is it!" he demanded again with the cock of his gun.

Clark watched on as his father interrogated. It was strange and unsettling seeing him act as he did. Jonathan had never shouted at him in that way, that tone. The anger and resentment in his voice was harsh, it gave him an appreciation for the calm, level headed father he knew. He worried about his dad getting hurt, but he was glad he was there. He wanted to put on his 'tough guy' face and pretend he could handle it himself. But he couldn't go up against Jeremiah without help and the truth was he didn't want to. He didn't want to get hurt again, to feel the blinding pain from his only weakness slicing through his skin. He was grateful his father insisted on coming, he wouldn't want anyone else with him. Suddenly he realized he was paying more attention to his thoughts than his surroundings. His eyes searched the clearing...Jonathan and Jeremiah were gone.

Chapter 16

Clark ran into the clearing where the men had been. He stood near the large rock and spun around several times looking for them. Something caught his eye and he glanced down, his fathers shut gun was lying on the ground. "No…" Clark's fears of his father getting hurt became of a reality. "Dad!" he yelled, he didn't care if Jeremiah found him or hurt him. His dad was in danger and he needed to help him. "Dad!" He frantically ran through the woods, "Dad!" He used his vision to look through the trees…nothing, nothing but trees.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in the back of his left calve. It traveled up his leg, throbbing, it was familiar. Sharp surges of pain pricked at him while flowing through his veins. _Kryptonite_ He thought as his leg gave out and he began to fall. He grabbed a tree for support and pulled himself up. He looked at his leg and saw a brightly glowing dagger sticking into it with trickles of blood streaming down. He reached down and gripped the dagger. His veins pulsated and protruded; with a loud grunt and one swift movement he ripped it from his leg. He took the dagger and threw it as far away as his weakened arm would allow him.

It all seemed to happen in an instant; just as his pain subsided he was tackled to the ground from behind. The pain returned; he threw his elbow back knocking whoever was on him off. Jeremiah lunged back atop him with the second dagger pointed at him. Clark caught Jeremiah's arms with his own and fought with all his strength to push back. He was feeling weaker by the second, the knife slowly slipping its way closer. He didn't know how much longer he would be able to restrain the knife.

Meanwhile, Chloe had followed the truck down the back roads; she'd parked near and followed what she thought was the right trail. Eventually, after hiking what seemed like miles to her, she reached a clearing. There were large rocks strategically placed and shrubs that appeared to make a design. She walked around the clearing, looking at the strange rows of shrubs. She walked to a particularly large boulder; she noticed the shotgun lying on the ground. She picked it up; she knew it was Mr. Kent's, she'd seen it several times with all the insane things that happen in Smallville. She was scared, _This can't be good, Mr. Kent would leave his gun here._ She continued across the clearing into the woods, she held tight to the gun. Her head rotated back and forth, side to side, searching for them. She caught sight of something, she didn't know what it was, she held the gun forward shaking in her grip. Once she was closer she saw what it was. "Mr. Kent!" she yelled and dropping the gun to her side and running over to him. He was lying on the ground unconscious. He had a gash on his head with a small amount of blood slowly leaking from it. She dropped to her knees next to him, "Mr. Kent!" she shook him, "Mr. Kent!" She sighed with relief. He was breathing, she figured Jeremiah must have knocked him out. On her way through the woods she'd concluded that Clark and Mr. Kent must have been going after him.

There was a ruckus of noise that echoed through the flourishing woods. She instantly knew it was Clark; she rose and ran in the direction of the noise only slowing down when she bent and scooped the gun in her hands. The sound of two men struggling amongst twigs and leaves grew stronger as she approached. She stopped for a split second when she saw them, then without a second thought she ran towards them. Jeremiah's back was to her; she took the butt of the gun and thrust it at his side as hard as she could, knocking him onto his back and off of Clark. The knife fell from his grip and landed near Clark. Before Chloe could get the gun turned around and pointed at him, he jumped onto his feet from his back. He took hold of the barrel and attempted to pull it from her arms, but she held firm.

Clark couldn't believe the sight before him. Chloe was struggling to hold on, she kicked and pushed and did whatever she could to loosen his grip on the barrel. Clark tried to get up to help her but the Kryptonite blade so too close to him, he could barely move. He tried to slither away from it while keeping watch on Chloe. The two were still struggling for the gun, Chloe tripped on a large tree root sticking from the ground. Jeremiah fell with her not daring to let go. All Clark could see now was an entanglement of limbs rustling on the ground. He was slowly getting away from the blade; its glow diminishing gradually, his pain was less intense.

Suddenly he heard something that ricocheted through his ears…a loud gunshot. He looked up, "Oh God…"

Chapter 17

Clark gathered all his strength; he pushed himself from the ground. He stumbled a few times before he was far enough away that the Kryptonite didn't affect him. He ran to Chloe and Jeremiah who were both lying on the ground. Jeremiah was next to her; he was unconscious and blood poured from his chest, he was dead. Chloe held the gun in her hands, not moving a muscle; she looked at Clark, tears streaming down her cheeks. He took the gun from her shaking hands and dropped it away from them. He took her hands and lifted her to her feet. "Chloe, are you okay?"

"Oh God Clark…I'm sorry…I didn't…I didn't mean to…" she choked out through her sobs. He pulled her into his embrace, letting her sob into his chest; he stroked her back and did his best to comfort her. Chloe felt sick and disgusted with herself. It was an accident, she didn't want to pull the trigger, she didn't want to take someone's life.

Clark held Chloe tight and close. He wondered what she was thinking. He wondered how she would deal with this, would she be the same. He pushed the thoughts away they didn't matter right now. He was just glad she wasn't hurt. Then it dawned on him, "Dad." He said quietly.

Chloe pulled back and looked at him, "What?" she said threw a sniff.

"I've got to find my Dad." He pulled completely from their embrace and started walking away, "I'm sorry Chloe, I'll be back."

She wiped the tears from her eyes, "Clark wait! I know where he is!" she quickly went to him; she grabbed his hand and led the way. "I found him earlier, he's okay." She held tight to his hand, never wanting to let go, and they trailed through the woods.

-One-Week Later-

Clark and Chloe had told the sheriff everything that transpired in the woods and Chloe received nothing more than a stern warning. Jonathan and Clark also received a lengthy lecture about purposely seeking after a dangerous fugitive without notifying the police.

Chloe had forced herself to deal with what happened in the woods. She felt so much guilt; she knew she protected Clark, probably even saved his life. She knew it was an accident, self defense, but she couldn't get the thought out of her mind, _I'm a murderer._ Everyone told her it wasn't her fault and she shouldn't be so hard on herself. _What do they know, they didn't do it!_ She knew it was going to be a long journey before she would get over it, if she would at all. Clark had promised to be there for her and help her through everything; that was enough for her to try.

----Clark's Loft----

Chloe climbed the wooden stairs to the loft. She stopped at the top and gazed at Clark who was sitting on the old couch. His back was to her against the arm of the couch, his knees pointing towards the rafters, he held a book in his hands while concentrating on the pages. She stood and watched; she couldn't believe how perfect he looked. You would've never guessed he'd been viciously attacked several times in the last few weeks. He looked healthy and happy. Seeing him brought her joy; she finally knew what he'd been keeping from her for years. She wasn't mad at him for not telling, she completely understood, _Hell, if I was an alien I wouldn't tell anyone either!_ There was a glimmer of hope in her heart. Since she knew his secret maybe now t**hey** could have a real chance. She forced herself back to reality and walked into the space. "Hey…"

Clark turned and saw her; he put down his book and sat properly on the couch. "Hey Chlo, how are you?"

"Great!" she smiled a small fake smile and sat next to him.

"Umm…so, do you want to talk abo…"

She cut him off "Clark, what I really want to know is…" she paused and smiled a genuine smile, "…what you thought of my birthmark!" she laughed; referring to the time he was affected red kryptonite and used his x-ray vision to his advantage.

Clark's face turned beat red, "Umm…I…uh…what?" he was caught.

She laughed, "Relax! I don't care…it's kind of flattering!"

He blushed more, "How did…"

"Pete called me yesterday and we talked…a lot!" she laughed. Clark laughed and blushed, he didn't know what to say, but luckily she spoke. "So…tell me about the rest of your abilities!"

They spend the rest of the day together. Clark showed her everything she wanted and answered all of her questions. Clark was beyond relieved with Chloe's reactions. He felt so comfortable with her. He loved not having to watch himself, not having to worry about slipping up in front of her. He finally felt complete comfort with himself and his gifts. He finally felt as though they were gifts, not curses.

THE END


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